Little One
by LadyPaige
Summary: Oliver returned to Starling City, only to find out he was pregnant, by Slade no less. He was happy to be a father, he knew he would have to do it alone but then, after being attacked, he was make to have a bodyguard. Imagine his shock when he saw the dark haired Australian at his door.
1. A Matter of Change

**This was for Arrow Kink Meme on livejournal.  
"Oliver comes back form the island pregnant with Slade's baby. And have flashbacks on how they got together and make the baby."**

* * *

Hearing Oliver speak such fluent Russian was an interesting experience… Everyone at the dinner table and Raisa knew that it wasn't something Oliver should have known. It must have been a one-off, a fluke. Knowing a word or two in Chinese would make sense; Oliver had to wait a week in China after all, to be identified and questioned about what had happened until he was able to return home. But Russian? Why Russian? And, most importantly, how?

The weirdest moment came the following night at his welcome home/no longer dead party. Oliver stood up on the stage, said thank you to everyone for coming and went about his usually fun self until Tommy held up a shot of tequila for him.

Oliver reached out to grab it absentmindedly, but when he clued in on the fact that it was a shot glass he'd pulled his hand back sharply, looking at the liquid like it was poison. "No, I'm good."

Tommy looked at him in confusion, the whole room was.

"I've spent five years without alcohol," he said, looking at the glass before looking away and sighing dramatically, "I'd probably pass out on the dance floor after five minutes; I'm probably such a lightweight now."

The crowd laughed.

"But I'll admit, being sober sucks!" He yelled and the crowd cheered in agreement.

"So, are we going to drink then?" He called out to the crowd.

"Yes!"

"Then enjoy tonight because the booze is on the house!" He grinned brightly, jumping down from the stage. Quickly, but with a big happy look on his face, he moved his way through the crowd and into the hall.

Tommy dumped his own shot glass of tequila and followed his best friend. He would have never believed his friend could lie and act like that had he not seen the look of horror on the blonde's face. Also what was with that look? What was it about alcohol that freaked Oliver out so much?

* * *

- Hours Before -

"You can't be serious?" Oliver told the doctor, "You just can't."

"I'm sorry if the news is shocking to you." The doctor said, pulling out his own padded computer chair and wheeling it over to Oliver, "Please have a seat, Mr. Queen."

It wasn't the same doctor Oliver had met and been examined by when he returned home. The man looked to be in his late thirties, his hair was a sandy blonde and his eyes a shade of honey brown. He seemed polite natured and calm. He was a pediatrician, the pink scrubs told Oliver as much when he walked into the room.

Oliver felt his stomach sink the moment he saw the man and the doctor could see this, seconds later he told Oliver.

"I can't believe I'm pregnant," Oliver said in surprise as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He moved to the window, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oliver," the doctor called, somehow sounding both stern and gentle in the same breath, "What's done is done. So please sit down, we'll figure this out, okay?"

Oliver looked back, biting his lip in contemplation, before nodding and moving to sit down again.

"Now, I should point out that some luck has shined down on you, Mr. Queen. The blood that goes for testing down at our lab is only labelled via numbers, meaning that being a rare case of male pregnancy, your result went straight to me and only me." He took a seat on one of the wooden patient chairs right next to Oliver for a more private talk. "I can't be certain completely with these results, but I estimate from the lab work that you've been pregnant for roughly one to two weeks, which means it didn't happen in Starling City."

Oliver groaned, running his hand through his hair.

"I won't tell a soul and as delicately as I can put this; what do you want to do… whether keeping the baby, adopting it out or aborting it… is up to you." He stood up from the chair and walked over to his desk, "Until your mind has been made up," he held a hand up to Oliver to keep him from speaking just yet, "and I want you to really think about this, it is a baby, your baby, after all." He took a sizeable white bottle from his drawer that rattled from the pills inside, "As I said, until you've decided on the correct course for your situation, you will need to take these." He held the bottle out to Oliver, "They contain a high mixture of vitamins and minerals that will help the baby's development in the early stages."

"Thank you," Oliver said softly, taking the bottle and rolling it back and forth in his palms, listening to it rattle.

"As you may or may not know, male pregnancies have a high risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. For the sake of possibly wanting to keep it, I strongly suggest that you take them." He told the younger man.

Oliver nodded, knowing full well that having a baby as a man was near impossible. Not near enough, apparently.

"Have you told the father?"

Oliver shook his head, a horrible cold feeling welling up in his stomach.

"Okay." Reaching over to his desk he grabbed a small white card and a ballpoint pen, writing on the card before passing it to Oliver.

The card said 'Starling General Hospital, Head of Pediatrics, William C. Clark' and had what looked to be his office number, under that however was a mobile number in pen ink.

"Due to your status in Starling City, I imagine that you wouldn't want anyone to know until you have made up your mind." He explained, "So, feel free to call me in a few days with your decision and we can take it from there."

"Is, um," Oliver glanced at the doctor from the corner of his eye, "Is it healthy?"

The doctor smiled, as if that was just what he wanted to hear. "Your blood indicates it is. The first trimester, which lasts until the twelfth week, is where the baby is just starting to develop and the risk of a miscarriage is rather high, especially in males, which is why those pills are vital." He said as he pointed to the bottle, "They will give the baby the vital nutrients it needs for those weeks to help shore up the baby's health and growth. Afterwards, if you decide to keep the baby, additional dosages and the need for other drugs will be necessary. Also, your diet is very important."

Oliver nodded, waiting for the doctor to go on.

* * *

Oliver sat on the first step of the stairs leading down, resting his head on the cool metal hand railing. He felt flushed and he was starving, having not felt up to eating before, he would have to eat soon for the baby's sake. His hand wrapped around his belly, his body leaning against the wall.

Few of the male population were able to produce eggs, let alone fertile eggs and those eggs were only produced once every two months. Plus, the man had to have anal sex with a man to produce a baby, and even then the male hormones often killed off the egg in the first few hours after production. Overall… timing was key, but even then nothing was certain.

Oliver knew he had to use the skills he had mastered that Yao Fei, Slade and Shado had taught him, he had to save this city for his father, but...

Oliver looked down to his currently flat stomach. He couldn't help thinking that it was meant to be. He got pregnant just before he left China, a one-in-a-million chance, the timing was simply amazing. How could he possibly get rid of something like that? Something the two of them had created together.

Oliver rubbed his belly tenderly with his thumb. Did he want to keep it because it was all he left of Slade?

"Oliver?"

"Hm?" The blonde turned around, spotting his friend.

"You okay?" Tommy asked, sitting down next to the blonde.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"And not drinking." Tommy added.

Oliver smirked, "I guess the island made me rethink a few things," he said. "Hey, Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever think about starting a family?" He asked, "Say if you got a girl pregnant or you got pregnant, what would you do?"

Tommy gave his friend a weird look.

"Just humor me."

Tommy sighed, looking around and clicking his tongue in thought. "Well, I don't have any plans to have sex with a guy, but if I got a girl pregnant... I don't know." He groaned, throwing his arms up in the air.

"I know you're dating Laurel." Oliver told the dark haired man.

"How did you-"

"Took a guess," he cut in, "Now, if you got her pregnant, would you look after the baby?"

"You haven't got anyone pregnant have you?" Tommy knitted his brows at his friend.

"No."

Tommy sighed again, "I guess one day I would like to have kids. Not anytime soon, but yeah, kids sound cool."

"Do you think that I would make a good father?" Oliver asked. It was then that he realized his hand was still on his belly, he removed it. The urge to put his hand back was there, not that it would protect the baby in the slightest.

Tommy shrugged, "You're cutting down on drinking before you even have one," he smirked, "and you're thinking about it, so yeah I think so."

Oliver smiled, "Thanks."

"Can we talk about something a little less awkward now?" Tommy asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Sure," Oliver said, "So, when did you start dating Laurel?"

Tommy chuckled nervously, "So, babies… Um?"

* * *

-Lian Yu-

"How's it going?" Slade asked as he stepped into the plane, briskly rubbing a hand over his hair to get as much of the water out as possible. The rain was coming down heavy; stepping out there for more than ten seconds could completely drench a man, as Slade was proof of it. It was however the best time to collect clean water, so he'd gone out and opened up the water tanks which were otherwise left closed to keep the wildlife out.

"It would be going better, if you hadn't punched it." Oliver mumbled, fiddling with a pair of wires he had been sure Slade had disconnected, but once again he was disappointed to find that was not it either.

Slade paused from unbuttoning his shirt, having known that the padding would be water logged when he wore it outside. Turning, he saw the younger man on his knees in front of the radio in the black vest he had lent him, seeing as the kid only had one change of clothes."Kid, it wasn't much use before, it won't be much use now."

"I know we can't call out, but we can still listen in." The blonde said, trying to justify his continued work on the radio.

"Then you can man it too," Slade said, removing his shirt, "Give you something useful to do around here."

Oliver stopped what he was doing and gave the wall a deadpan look. Why did Slade always have to think of him as being useless? "Hey, I help."

"Yeah, real helpful," the Aussie said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He opened the button on his cargo pants, "Didn't see you out there, did I?"

Oliver could just about see out one of the dirt and ivy covered windows; the sound of the rain was loud, seeing as the plane was split in two… it didn't sound like nice weather to be out in. Oliver kept his mouth shut just in case the older man decided the idea to throw him outside was a good one.

Slade unzipped his cargo pants, pulling down the damp, clingy material, "I would have taken you with me, but you would've slowed me down and moaned like a bitch the whole way." Slade said, moving to put his clothes by the fire.

"Could you blame me?" Oliver turned and the next sentence caught in his throat.

Slade was standing about a foot away, a hand full of clothes in his hands and wearing nothing but a cocked brow and a pair of black boxer shorts. The flame illuminated his bronze skin in the low early morning light just leaching through the windows. His body was wide and looked positively unmovable, think intimidating muscles filling every inch of his body perfectly. The dips between muscles were defined, shaping his body perfectly and making him look even more powerful that Oliver had first thought.

"My face is up here," the course voice said, a hint of a sarcastic smirk on his face.

A chill ran up Oliver's spine as he quickly span back around to the radio with burning cheeks. "Do you have to walk around like that?"

Slade smirked to himself, laying his clothes along the metal frame that held up pots for cooking, "Never took you as the shy type."

"I'm not," the blonde mumbled.

"Oh?" Slade glanced up at that, "Little sexual deviant, are we?"

Oliver snorted softly at that, "Some would say so, yes."

Oliver heard Slade chuckle, but he didn't know that the man had moved until he felt the warm breath on his ear, "Then how is it that I'm making you all shy and quite like a virgin."

Oliver froze.

Slade tilted his head down, lips barely an inch away from Oliver's creamy skin.

When the Australian's hot breath blew down Oliver's neck, he shivered and moved his shoulders down with a soft gasp, exposing more of his neck. It was only when the tip of Slade's nose poked his neck did Oliver stop himself. He turned to the side and dropped down onto his hands, quickly shuffling away before standing and turning back to Slade.

The older man smirked, "Too much for you, hum?"

* * *

Oliver lay on his side in bed. It was weird to be sleeping on something soft again, something his body sank into, but he'd freaked his mother and her new husband out last night, so he was making an effort to get used to it again. The one thing that gave him comfort was placing his hand on his stomach. One day soon his belly would swell with the life inside, that of his son or daughter.

In that moment Oliver knew he was going to keep it, no matter what it took or what he had to give up; whether it be coffee, alcohol or following the list… he would have this baby. He knew that one day he would right this city for his father, his family and his child.


	2. A Matter of Trust

**Spoilers for the episode "Keep Your Enemies Closer", please watch this episode first.**

* * *

Building his base under one of his father's old factories had taken a week longer then it should have, but he had to pace himself with all the weight lifting. Dr. Clark had given Oliver a baffled look when he asked if exercising and being at a building site would harm the baby. The soon-to-be father was quick to explain that his family was fixing up the house and it may have been odd if he avoided the area like the plague until he told them about the baby. Overall, the doctor was happy when Oliver told him he was going to keep the baby.

He was ten weeks in to the pregnancy and the week before he had started to developed a bump, which was thankfully still simple enough to hide. The appearance of the bump however made everything seem more real. He spent his time online narrowing down baby names and reading up on what furniture and toys to get the baby.

"I know I'm still months away and I don't know the gender, but I saw this green and white baby blanket and it just seemed right." Oliver grinned.

"I'm really happy for you, Oliver." Dr. Clark smiled, "You sound like you're really looking forward to this."

"I am," he younger man nodded.

Dr. Clark frowned and paused before asking, "I do need to ask you if the father had any medical issues that we need to look out for."

Oliver nodded in understanding, he'd been thinking a lot about Slade lately, "He was in the military and built like a tank."

"That's good to hear." The doctor nodded. "The military doesn't usually accept people with medical conditions and on-going illnesses, depending on the severity." He turned to fill out the forms on the parent's health.

Oliver kept his mouth shut, he knew Slade was completely healthy from living with the guy all those years, but he couldn't exactly tell the doctor that. Instead he just let his mind wander to a time back when it was just Slade and he.

* * *

The sound of clashing bamboo and the heavy pounding of rain clanging on the exposed metal of the plane's inner wall fired up Oliver's adrenalin as he and Slade fought. The blonde was still very aware of the Australian's lack of clothing which is why when the two paused their movement after locking their bamboo sticks together, Oliver glanced to the muscles between Slade's strong shoulders. They were nowhere near as impressive as his chest, but he couldn't help the image in his mind of being on his back and clutching down around Slade's shoulders so that Slade would move further down his body, a sly grin on his lips.

Seeing the kid's distracted state, Slade removed one of his bamboo sticks from where it lay trapped and swung it at the blonde's knee, hard. Lucky for Oliver, he managed to move his leg in time so that Slade hit his thigh instead.

Oliver pushed the man away, dropping one of his sticks to grab his injury, hissing at the tenderness, "The hell did you do that for?" Oliver growled.

"You weren't pay attention." Slade snapped, advancing upon Oliver, "You need to always pay attention, you can't afford not to."

Oliver forced himself to stand up straight, even if his leg was killing him, using his height to his advantage as Slade got right in front of him. He smirked as the dark-haired man was forced to look up at him.

"You can't fight, you can't hunt. I can't even trust you to gut an animal or cook because I know you would fuck that up too." He smirked, "And, worst of all, you can't admit what you want. You aren't gay, I get it, I'm not." His smile grew into a devilish grin, "Even if you are very fuckable."

Oliver backed away, he couldn't take it. He knew that if Slade kept on he would get hard and the older man would have won.

Slade smirked, proud of himself even if he felt a little disappointed, "Coward in every sense," he said.

Oliver waited for Slade to put his weapons down and start to walk away before he ran at him. He didn't know what he was thinking really, he just couldn't let the bastard win again. Luckily his brain caught on with the rest of him as he got closer to Slade, allowing him to grab hold of his shoulders as the older man started to turn back to him and tripping his feet from under him, falling down on top of the man as he went down. Oliver quickly lifted himself up, sitting on Slade's belly and pinning his wrists next to his head.

Slade may have at some point looked shocked, but as Oliver looked to his face all he saw was a bored expression and a cocked brow. He was not fighting, not pushing Oliver off and punching him, nor turning the tables and putting Oliver on his ass. He just sat there like he was waiting for an explanation. He'd won again.

"You, you..." Oliver said through clenched teeth, "You dick."

Slade snorted, "That's all you could come up with?"

"It's what you are!" Oliver practically yelled in Slade's face.

"And you're still a damn coward!" Slade roared back, pushing his body up sharply.

Oliver slid down so that his butt was in Slade's lap, his thighs brushing the back of Slade's arms as the older man leaned further forward. His grip on Slade's wrists tightened as the man got closer, a warning that he was uncomfortable, not that Slade seemed to care.

"I'm keeping you alive," Slade growled, his face mere inches away from Oliver's, "I've kept you safe and fed, I'm training you so that you can protect yourself. So for once can you stop being such an ungrateful arsehole?"

Oliver just looked at Slade for a second, what he said had taken him completely off guard. He released his grip on Slade's wrists and looked away sheepishly. "Why?" He then added, "Why are you training me and letting me stay here?"

"You know where I am, the only way to make sure Fryers wouldn't find out is to kill you." Slade said honestly.

Oliver looked up at that, giving Slade a worried look.

"That and the fact that you went back for a man, risking your own freedom and life, just because he saved you." He looked Oliver dead in the eyes, "And, I can tell that you would willingly do it again even when he betrayed you. Now, you've met the real Wintergreen... I thought I knew him, but turns out I was wrong." He frowned, "But having someone you can truly trust with your life, even if they are untrained, is not something to be over looked."

Oliver blinked, looking into Slade's eyes, turned black in the dim light, "You trust me?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I do," Slade said, looking back into those bright emerald eyes, sparkling with thin waves of blue and speckles of gold around the outer ring of the iris, "Do you trust me?" he asked.

Oliver nodded, "I trust you."

The two said nothing for a few seconds. With the position they were in, there were only two opinions for what would to happen next; they could move apart or get closer. Slade went to move and Oliver placed his hands on the man's shoulders. Slade looked at him.

"Your right," Oliver gulped, his cheeks starting to burn, "I want to."

Slade nodded, moving his lips to Oliver neck and giving him a kiss right under his chin.

Oliver shivered as he felt the man's stubble run along his skin, leaning his head back to expose more of his neck.

Slade rested one hand on the back of Oliver's neck, kissing along his neck and grinned when Oliver gasped as he nipped the skin. Just before the blonde's collarbone Slade bit down, sucking a sizeable dark mark to the surface.

Oliver grabbed the back of Slade's head, running his hand through the dark wiry hair. He groaned as Slade used his arm to pull Oliver's hips closer to his, his behind rubbing against the growing hardness underneath him. Breaking from the kiss, Oliver moved back so he could swing one leg over so he could unzip and remove his jeans and boxers. As soon as they were unzipped however, Slade slipped a hand inside, grasping the hardened flesh and nipped Oliver's ear.

Oliver moaned, enjoying the calloused fingers working him, but managed to remove his jeans and boxers before he lost it and gave up entirely. Oliver mounted Slade again; the Aussie pulled their crotched together by way of Oliver's hips before the blonde could groan about the loss of the skilful hand that had held him.

"Fuck." Oliver moaned, grinding into Slade.

Slade's body jerked, his cock rocking hard against Oliver's, "Gets better," he smiled. He grasped the bottom on Oliver's vest and pulled it over his head before kissing down Oliver's chest, his smile growing as Oliver gasped and arched his back as Slade rolled his tongue over a nipple.

"Slade," Oliver moaned.

And that was it. Slade moved Oliver back just enough to remove his cock from his boxers. Taking Oliver's hand, Slade wrapped the blonde's hand around their cocks, before clasping his over Oliver's, their fingers entwined.

The two men worked together, working themselves closer and closer to the end. Slade's mouth continued to work on Oliver's neck, his arm around the blonde's waist, pulling him closer to his chest. While Oliver wrapped his free arm around Slade's neck with forehead on the other side, breathing deeply as he got closer to the finish line.

The pace built, becoming less of a rhythm and more of frantic push until they reached the end. First Oliver, who tightened his grip on Slade as he buried his face in Slade's neck, then Slade, who ran his hand through Oliver's hair and held him close with his free arm. Their hands were still linked even after as their bodies cooled down as the gradually cooling thick liquid they created together rolled down their chests and hands.

The two were covered in sweat and sperm, but they just sat there, catching their breath. They knew that after they would have to separate, but for now… the two just stayed in each other's arms. Feeling warm and comfortable, if only in a post-orgasm state of bliss.

* * *

"Oliver?"

The blonde blinked, pulling himself out of his memories, "Uh, sorry, what?"

"I'm going to need to ask you more questions about the father," he smiled weakly, "Is that okay?"

"Um, yeah. That's fine." Oliver nodded.

"Okay," the doctor looked over the sheet, "Let's start with his age?"

"Forty."

The doctor wrote it down, "What about his race?"

"Australian." Oliver answered, adding, "But he's part Māori, native New Zealander. So he had tanned skin." Oliver explained, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable seeing as how he knew so much, but he had to be honest for the baby's sake.

The doctor, to his credit, just blinked and carried on.

* * *

"Laurel?" A gentle voice asked.

Laurel paused from where she had been typing up the remaining documents on a recent case, "Emily?" her head shot up.

There stood Emily Nocenti. Her father had been murdered on the order of Martin Somers, for horrors that he had seen and like a hero, he tried to report and paid for it with his life. His only child Emily had wanted to go on the stand for what her father had told her before his demise, but she knew that if she did she would more than likely be killed. So instead she said nothing and went into hiding.

"I know what I'm risking, but I have to do it, Laurel," she said, her eyes full of determination. "I need to."

Laurel stood from her desk, "Then I'll be right there with you."

Emily smiled, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, "Thank you."

* * *

"Martin Somers?" Oliver hand went to his belly. Martin Somers was on the list. He didn't know what the list meant to his father, but every name on it always filled Oliver with a feeling of dread. "She's going after Martin Somers? Tommy, she'll be in danger."

Tommy ran a hand through his hair, "I know, but what am I supposed to say?"

The two friends sat together in a coffee shop, although Oliver was drinking tea, waving it off as something he had enjoyed while in China.

"We argued and now she doesn't want to see me, thinks I'm over protective." He shook his head, "Even her father is worried."

"She's always been stubborn," the blonde smiled, sipping his tea.

"Yeah." Tommy smiled fondly, thinking of her stubborn nature.

"How about I go and visit her tonight?" Oliver suggested, "I need to talk to her anyway about Sara." He said, looking down sadly.

"Oh," Tommy looked down into his coffee, his smile weak, but still there, "Yeah, I think you two should talk."

Oliver looked up at that.

"I know, I said that you two should stay apart, but if there is a chance that you two could get along..." waved his hand in the air, trying to think of the right words to say.

"Yeah, I get it." Oliver nodded.

* * *

Laurel sighed when she saw Oliver at her door, but left it open as she walked back into her apartment, "Did Tommy send you?"

"Only partly," Oliver said, shutting the door behind him. "We haven't really talked since I've been back."

Laurel turned back to Oliver, looking deep into his eyes. The slight twitch of her eyes signalling she wasn't happy that he was visiting. "I'm not going to forgive you for all that you did anytime soon, you know that, right?"

"I wouldn't." Oliver smiled.

Taking notice of the plastic bag in the blonde's hand, she pointed at it, "And that is?"

Oliver's smile grew, and pulled out the ice-cream carton from within, "A peace offering," he said. Laurel had always loved salted caramel ice cream, ever since Oliver's father had given her one at a barbecue on the Queen's patio when Laurel, Tommy and Oliver had been eight.

Laurel saw the label and a small smile pulled at her lips.

They chatted and Oliver told her about what happen to the Queen's gambit, how Sara had drowned, even when he knew that hadn't been the case. What could he say? That she had lived through the ship sinking, but was now dead? Yeah, that definitely wouldn't make her feel better. Besides, he would have a lot of explaining to do when the world found out he was pregnant, which was not going to go down well, adding Sara to the mix would just make it worse.

Oliver couldn't help thinking about Slade finding out. What would he do? Oliver never expected to see the man again, he had his ASIS life and Oliver had his quest to follow the list, even if that wasn't yet the case, well not as much as he would have wanted anyway.

Oliver was pulled out of his musings as he heard a sound, like the clang of someone on the fire escape and he was ready to get the two of them out of there. He grabbed hold of Laurel's wrist and told her they had to leave. Before she could ask why however, there was a shattering of glass and a female figure wearing all black with long white hair jumping through the window, a pair of Karambit knives in hand. China White, an assassin sent by the Chinese Triad.

Oliver pulled Laurel to the kitchen, knowing that China White would follow.

She ran at Oliver, but she underestimated him. He swung to the side and kicked her hard in the chin. She fell to the floor and Oliver reached for two steak knives from the wooden block next to the electric kettle. "Get out of here, now!" He yelled to Laurel and she listened, a terrified look on her face. Turning back just in time to see China White coming straight at him, he turned and grabbed the chopping board to use as a shield from her attack, leaving the knives on the side in the process.

Taking her once again by surprise, Oliver pushed her up against the wall, slamming her against it.

Then he turned, grabbing the knives again and ran, but the fight was nowhere near over. But, he couldn't afford anyone thinking he was the guy in the hood in several months time when he was ready to start truly working on the list. With China White dazed, Oliver ran towards the front door, growling "Get out" in a very low tone before turning off the living room and kitchen lights which thankfully sat next to each other and slammed the door shut to bout all the light. Hearing the white-haired woman's knives clink against each other, Oliver flipped on his green hood that he had worn under his jacket for more warmth for the baby.

The baby. He wouldn't let her be harmed. These knives were no match for the woman's, but he wasn't planning on keeping them for long.

The two of them hid, both used to the dark, but when Oliver saw the shine of metal he went for it. He threw his blade, both disarming and cutting her hand in the process. She yelled out in pain, a Chinese curse only Shado and Slade had taught Oliver when Yao Fei was off hunting slipped from her lips. Oliver went to knock her out and that was when he left himself open. He kicked the knife from her other hand and she sharply kicked him back in the stomach, which he usually could take with no problem, but the baby couldn't.

Falling on to his butt, Oliver wrapped an arm around his belly, where the woman had kicked him.

China White came for him with a knife from her belt, which in his shock Oliver had not noticed until it was nearly too late, but at the last second he sent a fast kick to her shins and she dropped her knife in the fall. Oliver grabbed her before she could grab it and held her in a neck hold, dropping his own remaining knife as he did so.

He wanted to do it. He want to snap her neck for what she had done, but the baby was right there, she was right there, he couldn't do it with her right there.

She? When did Oliver start thinking of her as a she?

That was when he knew more than ever that he couldn't kill anymore. He had a child for God's sake, he couldn't go killing people on the list. He had a child, possibly a little girl.

Oliver was already cutting off the blood to her head meaning she was about to pass out, her hands on his arms weak until they dropped down, then Oliver let her go, body thumping down onto the wooden floor in unconsciousness. He rolled his sleeves over his hands and went to remove his finger prints from the knives.

* * *

Sergeant Lance ran up the stairs, not stopping until he made it to Laurel's floor. He paused to take a breath, peeking through the window of the door to see Oliver sat on the floor, leaning his body against the cream wall, an arm wrapped around his belly. His eyes were on ceiling, voice low, but Lance couldn't see who he would be talking to.

As Lance opened the door, Oliver nearly jumped in to a fighting position when he saw the gun, a natural reaction. "She's in the apartment. Unconscious." Oliver said.

That made Lance stop his movement into said apartment, he turned, giving the blonde a questionable look.

"Not my doing." Oliver said, holding his hands up in surrender, "Some guy in a green hoodie came in and told me to run. I came back and she was out cold."

Lance scowled, "Your luck never runs out, does it?" He turned back to the apartment and made his way in.

A minute or two passed, but to Oliver it felt like the longest time in his life. His baby had been hurt, she needed to go to the hospital and Oliver couldn't think of an excuse to get out of here. "The hell with it," he said, slowly standing up. He had to get her help; he didn't have time for this.

Just then the door opened again and there was Laurel.

"Oliver," she gasped, running over and placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Oliver said, waving the matter away with his hand, "Look Laurel, I've got to go. I-"

"Oliver, you can't go. You were part of an attack." Laurel told the blonde, looking at him in slightly stunned confusion, as if he was just suggested that they go to a pottery class.

"Where do you have to go so urgently?" Lance called, coming out of the apartment.

Oliver didn't say the "Oh crap" That he felt like saying, but from the smirk on the Sergeant's face it was pretty clear that his eyes did.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this," Oliver shook his head, panic building and lies competently escaping him. "I have to go."

"For what?" Laurel demeaned.

"She's waited too long, I-" Oliver stopped. He had to get out of here.

"She who?" Laurel asked, a slight deadpan look on her face like she knew the reason was childish and so like Oliver.

"What are you worried about, Queen?" Lance's smirk twitched, knowing he had the blonde trapped. He walked right up to Oliver, standing but a foot away.

He was trapped, he knew was trapped, but he didn't care anymore, he had to get to a hospital, now. "I'm ten weeks pregnant and that bitch kicked me in the stomach!" He growled, not realizing how much anger had built up in him.

Laurel and Lance looked at him with shocked expressions; eyes wide, mouths opening, moving as if trying to form the beginning of words.

Oliver's fists tightened and clicked, trying to sooth his anger, he snarled, "Now, either let me go or drive me, but I need to get to the hospital. Right. Now."

* * *

Oliver ended his call to Doctor Clark and sighed.

"I'm sorry." Laurel said, looking at the blonde through the rear-view mirror.

"It's fine," Oliver said, resting his forehead on the cool glass of the car window. "I'm sorry for snapping at you and your father."

The two sat in the car in silence for the rest of the drive to the hospital, the silence was comfortable, but Laurel could see Oliver was worried from the hand that he kept unconsciously on his belly. They didn't talk again until they make it to the drop off area in front of the hospital.

As Oliver got out, Laurel wound down her window, "I'll find somewhere to park."

"Okay." Oliver nodded, giving her a small smile.

"I-I'm so sorry, Oliver. I shouldn't have left you there by yourself." Laurel said, eyes sincere.

He looked her in the eyes, "I told you to get out," he frowned and said, "It's all my fault," before turning and leaving.

"Oliver, Oliver wait!" Laurel called out, but to avail.

Oliver kept moving, he didn't want her to see the tears rolling down his cheeks.

What the hell was wrong with him? What kind of man couldn't look after his own child?

* * *

Oliver sat up against the cold metal hospital bed headboard; his legs were under the blanket to keep warm seeing as he had removed his jacket and hoodie for his examination. He was waiting for Doctor Clark to locate an ultrasound machine when a nurse appeared at the door.

"Mr. Queen, there is a Laurel and Quentin Lance here to see you. Shall I let them in?" she asked.

Oliver nodded.

"Also, your family have been notified that you are here," she said, a poorly practiced fake smile crawling onto her face to hide her weariness after a long day's work.

Oliver nodded once again, hiding his hoodie inside his jacket.

Seconds after she left the door opened once more. Laurel gave Oliver a gentle smile, while Lance looked more bewildered about the night's events.

"How are you feeling?" Laurel asked, walking over to stand next to the blonde.

"I'm fine." Oliver assured her, "My doctor's just setting up an ultrasound to check everything."

"Who's your doctor?" Lance asked.

"Dr. Clark, Head of Pediatrics."

Lance raised his brows at that before nodding, "Not bad. I guess it makes sense seeing as this is rare."

Oliver frowned, wrapping his arms around his belly, "Don't remind me." He tucked one hand in the other so they wouldn't notice that he was pinching himself. He had to stop himself from bursting into tears again.

Lance realized his words and for the first time, in all the years Oliver had known him, the older man actually looked worried for him, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. It's fine, really," he snorted, "I'm just not looking forward to the ultrasound."

"How come?" Laurel asked.

"I was meant to have my first one a little while ago, but I didn't have time." He smiled weakly, "I booked to have it tomorrow… it's suppose to be a good occasion. This isn't."

"It's not your fault." Laurel told him.

Just then Doctor Clark opened the door, walking backwards and rolling a table with a screen and what must have been the machine for the ultrasound into the room. "How are we feeling?"

"A little bipolar." Oliver said honestly, feeling exhausted from the fluctuating emotions.

"Since tonight?" the doctor asked.

Oliver thought for a second, he'd been more sensitive to emotions as of late, he had wrote it off as being back home and not training and living as a warrior, "I guess I've been a little emotional these last few days, but a lot worse tonight."

The doctor nodded, "Hormones." he answered, "The stress may have worsened it for a period, give it time and it should calm." He smiled.

"Good to know." Oliver said as he nodded.

Lance moved to the door, holding it open with his hand, "I'll need to question you about the attack after."

Oliver nodded, giving the Sergeant a polite smile until he left.

"Do you want me to stay?" Laurel asked.

Oliver smiled, "If you can."

"Of course." She sat in the soft visitor chair that stood pointing at the bed.

"I'll need you to lift up your shirt." Doctor Clark said, a tube of jelly in his hand.

Oliver smirked, "Things are about to get graphic." He said to Laurel.

She smirked back, "I've seen you naked." she pointed out.

"Not like this," he said, shaking his head. He lifted his shirt to just before his nipples, his chest scars and his Chinese writing tattoo on display.

Laurel's eyes boggled, "Oh, Ollie," she shook her head, not believing what she was seeing, "How did you survive?"

Oliver looked down at them and shrugged, "They're only flesh wounds Laurel. Besides, you build up a tolerance after awhile." Oliver looked back to the doctor, who looked a little uncomfortable, "Sorry. We can continue."

As the doctor poured the jelly onto Oliver's belly, the blonde knew she was giving him a 'The hell?' look, but he paid it no mind.

"Okay." The doctor said, running the device over Oliver's stomach, clicking his tongue lightly against the roof of his mouth as he searched, "Here we are."

Oliver's heart thumped fast in his ribcage.

Doctor Clark inspected the growing baby thoroughly, for about a minute, taking note of things with a hum that neither sounded good nor bad. He smiled, "Everything looks good."

"Good?" Oliver smiled.

"A parent's body will do everything to protect the baby, plus you said that the tip of the woman's boot hit your ribs, that's caught some of the pressure and the baby was far down enough not to suffer from it," he said. "I would have said that was likely the case before, but I didn't want to risk it until I knew for sure that the baby was okay."

"She's okay." Oliver told himself, grinning widely "She's okay."

"She?" the doctor asked.

Oliver smiled, "I know it's too early to tell, but I just kept referring to the baby as a she in my head. But, I'll love him or her either way."

"You're going to be a great father." Laurel said.

Oliver blinked, he looked back to Laurel, she looked honest, "Thank you," he smiled.

"I agree." The doctor nodded.

Oliver was about to turn and thank him when the door slid open a crack, none of them really noticed aside from Oliver, whose eyes went to it straight away.

"Sorry to disturb," Lance called from behind the door, "but Oliver your family is here and your sister is really not happy."

"On my way." Oliver said.

Laurel placed a hand of the blonde's shoulder, "I see you in a bit."

Oliver gave her a smile. It was good to have Laurel back to speaking to him again. When today was finally over, it was likely that she would go back to hating him, so for now he wanted to enjoy these moments with his old friend.

"Oliver?" The doctor asked, once Laurel had left with her father, "Are you sure you don't want to see?" he said, holding the ultrasound device in one hand and a few paper towels in the other.

Oliver nodded, "I'll wait."

Doctor Clark passed him the paper towels before moving to turn off the screen and the machine. "Have you found any names you like yet?" he asked.

"Still narrowing it down." Oliver sighed, wiping the jelly from his stomach.

The doctor smiled, wheeling the machine to the door, "I'll see you next Wednesday. I hope all goes well."

"Me too." Oliver said, slipping his feet into his shoes and grabbing his jacket and hoodie, tucking the hood under his jacket like he had before.

* * *

"Where. Is. Oliver?" Thea demanded to the Sergeant.

Oliver didn't want to see how badly that ended, so he said, "Right here speedy," as he walked up to them. 'Them' consisted of Lance, Laurel, Thea, Tommy, Moira and her husband Walter.

"Are you hurt?" his mother asked. "Sergeant Lance said you were attack? What happened, Oliver? Who attacked you? Why-"

Oliver placed his hands on his mother's shoulder's, "It's okay," he said calmly, hoping it would calm her. "I'm okay. And I'll explain all that later, but right now I need to tell you all something."

Laurel forced herself not to smile, looking away from Tommy when he looked at her curiously.

"Mom, you're," he stopped before adding, "No yelling to the world about this, okay?" he said, looking around to see a few visitors and nursing staff were looking over, wondering what the ruckus had been about. "Mom," he smiled, "You're going to be a grandmother."

Now, maybe it was because Oliver had not mentioned any interest in anyone since he had been back or it may have been largely to due to the fact that Thea had seen him being sick one morning and therefore clocked it first, gasping "Oliver!" that Moira said what she said.

"You're pregnant?!" She asked Thea in a sharp whisper.

"What?" Thea gave her mother an odd look, still a little stunned from what Oliver had just said.

Oliver burst out laughing, the moment was just so perfect; the looks on their faces were priceless. He laughed so hard he suddenly let himself drop down in to the chair behind him, very nearly falling to the floor if he hadn't sat down. "Oh God," he gasped between chuckles.

"You got a girl pregnant?" Moira asked.

"No." Oliver said, still chuckling and in that moment of humour he couldn't help adding, "However, someone guy got me pregnant." He said in a hushed tone.

"Wh-wha?" Moira stuttered.

"Wait." Tommy said, holding up his hand, "So that night when you were talking about what it would be like to be a father, you were..." he left the sentence hanging.

"Yep." Oliver nodded.

"But you said that on your second day back" And finally, Tommy was the one to point out something neither Sergeant Lance or Laurel had noticed when he said he was ten weeks pregnant, having only been back for nine. "Did you get pregnant in China?"

Oliver nodded, "The father was a friend of mine and that's all I have to say." He said, frowning as he continued, "During the attack I got kicked in the belly," he quickly added, "the baby is fine, but I just wanted to be sure."

Moira just shook her head, not knowing what to say.

"You, you had sex with a guy?" Tommy asked, the words not making any sense in his mind.

"That's how babies are made." Oliver simply said.

"Why?" he asked.

"I second that." Thea said.

Laurel hummed in agreement.

"Five years without sex and he was hot." Lack of sex was kind of how it started, they were kind of friend with benefits for months before they kissed and things got more personal.

Walter put his hand on his wife's shoulder, he was about to comfort her when she placed a hand on his.

"I need a moment alone," she said, walking away.

Oliver watched his mother leave the room, disappointment in his eyes.

"She just needs a bit of time to think." Walter told his stepson.

Oliver sighed, turning to Sergeant Lance who was leaning against the wall, having been watching the whole event, "You have some questions about tonight?"

Lance nodded as he sat down next to him.

Tommy, Laurel and Thea just stood there looking at each other, not too sure what they were supposed to do. That was until Walter took lead and sat down in one of the chairs near Oliver, waving them over to join him. They did.

Unknown to the group, a man stood from the chair he had been sitting in since the Sergeant arrived, folding up the newspaper that had been previously used to hide his features. His skin was tanned, his hair black and his eyes were a very dark brown, the brown only just clear in the bright hospital lights.

He saw the blonde he had once trained and kept safe, he didn't know why he was here, but he looked fine. He smiled at the blonde, the corner of his lips only rising on one side due to the reconstructive surgery he had undergone after suffering burns on his face during an explosion. The burns had been painful, but thankfully they were light enough to be fixed, a scar ran along his right cheek from the surgery and his right eye was closed but in normal light it was only slightly squinted. It was a miracle he could still see from it, but it was now very sensitive to light.

He turned to the door the blonde's mother had left from and followed, once out the door he spotted a signed that pointed down the hall to the canteen. It was likely sparse this late at night, if he wanted somewhere to think, that's where he would go.

Walking into the canteen, his sighed at the lower lights and opened his eye again, suffering only a slight burning sensation, but he gave a few hard blinks and the pain was gone. The room had a few doctors and nurses in it, eating and chatting and there was a woman in her late twenties standing at the till, looking bored. He spotted the blonde woman sitting at a table by herself, head in her hands.

He walked up to the blonde woman, standing a foot away from her table, "You alright there, love?" he asked, with a concerned look on his face.

She looked up, a little taken aback by his sudden presence.

"Not bad news, I hope." He smiled gently, "I'm Slade. May I ask your name, ma'am?"

She blinked, tilting her head in question "Moira ."

Slade nodded, "Interesting name."

"I could say the same for yourself," she smirked, "Your accent is interesting too."

"Australian," he said, "I was just here to visiting a friend. Yourself?"

She just looked at him for a second, her time working with the people involved in the undertaking making her naturally suspicious," My son." She frowned, "He got himself hurt."

"Sounds like it happens often." Slade commented.

Moira chuckled, "You don't know him? You haven't been watching the news lately, have you?"

She held an arm out, offering the chair in front of her.

"Thank you." Slade smiled politely and sat down, "And no, I only just came here and before that I was in the Navy. Spent more time in the Middle East than I did back home."

She hummed in interest, "And home is?"

"Albany, Australia. It's in Western Australia," he said. "So, is your son a celebrity or something?" Slade asked.

"Or something."

Slade smirked, the lack of his lip movement caught the woman's eyes.

"Reconstructive surgery," he said, taping the corner on his lips, "Should have seen me before."

"Oh, sorry." she said, looking away.

"It's fine. It happens," he said, "Didn't get hurt badly, did he? Your son?"

She shook her head, "No, but it could have been worse."

Slade nodded, holding down his smirk when he saw his opportunity. "You should hire him a bodyguard or something," he joked.

Moira paused before nodding, "I could. That's a good idea."

After the first week of Oliver's return, Malcolm told her that he had planned on hiring a few men to catch Oliver and ask him what he knew, but could never get him alone and Oliver didn't seem to think anything was out of the ordinary with the Queen's Gambit, so he gave up. A bodyguard was a good idea, someone to protect Oliver and the baby. The man needed to have experience; he needed to be able to protect Oliver from potentially armed men if Malcolm changed his mind.

Moira smiled, an idea coming to mind, "How long were you in the Navy?"

"Since I was eighteen," he said, "I worked in disarming bombs. Steady mind, steady hand and all that." Well, disarming and making, but that last bit would unlikely go down well.

"Are you working?" she asked.

"Not at the moment."

"Would you look after my son?" she asked.

He sat back in his chair, blinking in fake surprise, "Um, yeah I guess so," he smiled, it's not like he's never had that job before.

They traded numbers and went over a few requirements such as Slade wearing a suit due to being in the public eye, and a car would also be provided to him for the same reason. The two shook hands and it was a deal.

Moira stood, "I will see you tomorrow at eleven then," she held out her hand.

"But of course." Slade shook it. Watching the blonde woman leave, a grin pulled at his lips.

Just as planned.


	3. A Matter of Lust

**You can guess what you may be about to read from the title. I would have wrote more but I have less time on my hands at the moment, so I figured that you all might in enjoy this short and smutty chapter and I can write a longer and more plot filled one later.**

**Yes Slade WILL be in the next part.**

* * *

- Lian Yu -

"What promises do you hold?" Slade questioned the circuit board held between his index finger and thumb. He threw himself down on to the metal and somewhat padded detached plane seat, holding the chip up into a path of light from one of the windows to see it better.

"We can trade it for a way out of here?" Oliver suggested.

"And just hand it over?" Black eyes gazed at the blonde, who sat warming himself by the fire. "Even if they just let us go, what are the chances that they'll use it for something dangerous, I wonder."

"We can give them the location of the circuit board when they give us what we want," Oliver said, "And I never said we had to tell them the truth."

Slade smiled, a wave of pride went over him, "Well, well, well. Look who's improving, now if we could just work on your fighting ability," he said, leaning to the side to place the chip on one of the upside-down food containers.

Oliver looked up, giving the man a small smile before looking away shyly. The older man had been kind to him as of late… That could have been due to the odd sexual favours they threw each other's way from time to time.

Slade liked the younger man's reaction, it was kind of cute. He was a surprised however when the blonde suddenly stood and walk towards him, eyes to the floor. He stopped when he reached Slade, dropping down to his knees. "Can I help you with something?" Slade asked with a smirk.

Oliver crossed his arms over Slade's knees, chin resting on the area when his arms crossed. His bright eyes finally met Slade's. "Can you bear with me for a moment?" He asked, looking to the right behind Slade's chest, staring at the bottom of the protective padding behind him, avoiding his eyes in nervousness. "I need to figure out what I'm doing here."

"The sooner you know, the soon I know." Slade said, but pushed the subject no further.

Oliver nodded.

The two sat saying and doing nothing for about half a minute before Oliver moved a hesitant hand to rest on Slade's thigh, curling his fingers down the inside of the man's thigh and ran his hand back up ever so slowly, stopping before he reached something more sensitive. He repeated the motion again, confidence building as he added more pressure.

Slade just watched the blonde. Now this was a surprise, a surprise that he liked and he was pretty sure he knew how it would continue and for that reason he did nothing. He left the other to find his way.

Oliver took a deep breath; both for the stress of preparing himself to do something so unfamiliar and for what he once saw as disgusting, but now the very idea of doing it for the man was making him hard. He sat back and moved his hands forward to unzip and pull out Slade's cock. He leant forward and kissed the head, feeling the man's body tense slightly beneath him.

He then ran his tongue over the head and Oliver had to admit that it didn't taste bad, musky maybe from the lack of a descent hot shower and the active life they were forced into, but that made sense. Oliver would be lying if he said that he wasn't even more turned on than before. He ventured on, running his fingertips along the side of Slade's cock as he took the head in his mouth.

Slade groaned as Oliver worked him further into his mouth, the dark-haired man couldn't help but move a hand to the other's head, running his fingers through Oliver's long dirty blonde hair.

Oliver pulled back when he felt pre-cum, it rolled down his tongue as he pulled back. It was thick and it tasted salty, but not to a point of becoming bitter. It was like that last bit of salt on his plate after a meal that he would dip his finger into and taste; the flavor was oddly satisfying. He shut his mouth and swallowed.

Never would Oliver believe in a million years that he could've done something like this, but he just did. He smiled devilishly, aware that Slade's eyes were on his, and ran his tongue along the underside of Slade's hardening member, then proceeding to use the tip of his tongue to trace the vein.

"Fuck." Slade gasped, followed by a moan, the sound more like a low growl in his deep gravelly voice.

Oliver bobbed his head, pulling back every so often to run his tongue along the underside before taking the man in further and further with each move forward, taking as much as his throat would allow.

Slade kept his hips painfully still to stop himself from choking the younger man, moaning hard as the kid built up a perfect rhythm. He gripped the blonde's hair tightly, his hips shuddering as he neared climax.

Oliver could tell from the older man's deep breathing that he was close, although that wasn't to say he was prepared to have cum shoot down his throat. It was a shock, but at least he didn't gag. He swallowed the rest, lapping a small amount left on Slade's member before putting the man's private parts away and zipping him back up.

"You really do surprise me sometimes." Slade said, cupping Oliver's cheek.

Oliver froze as Slade's lips descended upon his and for a second or two he really thought that the older man had kissed his lips. What Slade did however was kiss just under one corner of his lips, then he ran his tongue up, narrowly missing Oliver's lips. Oliver was still pretty stunned by the action however as Slade pulled back he saw the man licking his lips, he guessed that Slade must have been cleaning up a slight spillage of his making.

Slade rubbed his thumb against Oliver's bottom lip and the younger man just had to wonder. Should they kiss? Was that a little too close to a relationship? Did Slade even want to? Did Oliver? It was then that Oliver looked at Slade's full lips and he knew he wanted to, but he knew there was a line. They had a good thing going, if Oliver kissed the other man that could make things awkward; be it now or later.

"Your turn," Slade said.

Oliver looked up at that.

"And how about we try something different?" Slade grinned in a way that terrified Oliver when he first saw it, as did his chuckle. That could have been due to the fact after threatening to kill him before and taking a punch to the face, Slade just chuckled and grinned, mouth wide with white teeth as he swung his body back to standing straight like nothing had happened.

"Like what?" Oliver grinned back. He stood, assuming they would be moving elsewhere for the sake of space.

Slade slapped his thighs, "Hop aboard."

Oliver's eyes boggled, "Come again?" Heat burned in his cheeks. Did he want to...?

"That won't be happening anytime soon." Slade said, waving a hand over his crotch, "No need to worry about that." He placed his hands on Oliver's hips, his fingers drummed against the plump behind suggestively, "These however, I would worry about."

He raised a brow, which clearly said 'Are you in?'

"Oh, right. Okay, um," Oliver looked down at his hands and fought the urge to play with his sleeves in a nervous habit.

Slade took a hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Trust me," he said.

Oliver looked at their hands for a moment. Slade had rather large fingers, which made Oliver gulp. His hand nearly engulfed Oliver's, his darker skin making Oliver's look snow white in comparison. His fingers and palm were calloused, making them feel hard and a little rough, and wasn't that just about the best way to describe Slade? Oliver looked up and met those black pools of abyss. He nodded.

"You'll want to remove these." Slade pointed out, sliding one of his fingers through the belt loop of Oliver's jeans.

Oliver took his hand back from Slade's to unbutton and zip his jeans before he pulled them down, his tented boxer were pretty obvious about his excitement. Stepping out of the dark material as he straddled the older man's lap with legs handing out between the armrest, Oliver sat down in the man's lap, seeing as how the metal chair was something that wouldn't be very comfortable to rest his legs and knees on.

Slade palmed Oliver through his dark blue boxers, causing the blonde to gasp, thrusting into his grasp. Slade grinned at the reaction; he licked his index finger and thumb before he slipped a hand inside, rolling his fingers along the hardened flesh.

Oliver moaned, trying to move his hips, but Slade held them down with a strong hand at his hip. Oliver groaned, head dropping to Slade's shoulder, "What is it with you messing with me, all the damn time?" He gasped as the Aussie's finger ran down the underside of his cock, "Move already."

"I like watching you beg," Slade said, kissing the back of Oliver's ear and running his teeth down his neck, his stubble scratching softly along Oliver's skin.

"That's creepy," Oliver said. He moaned loudly as Slade suddenly grabbed him tightly.

"Sit back," Slade ordered.

Oliver did, eyes still on Slade's chest.

"Look at me," Slade said, his voice more gentle.

Oliver's eye met his. The emerald eyes were carved with waves of blue and specs of gold dancing around the pupil as they met the jet black ones, the colour of Slade's brown eyes hidden in the low light.

Slade started to pump Oliver.

Oliver moaned, but as his eyes fell shut, both from pleasure and to look away from Slade's heated gaze, the man stopped his movements. The Aussie then massaged the head slowly and tenderly, and it was driving Oliver crazy. He opened his eyes, heat rushing to his face as he met those dark eyes and that cocky smile, "You're such a sadist," Oliver said before he moaned hard as Slade started up again. This time Oliver managed to keep his eyes open, which was difficult… fighting such a natural reaction when he was being so badly distracted.

Slade chuckled, a grin pulling at his lips. That should really not turn Oliver on so much.

"Well, then," Slade placed a hand on Oliver's behind, giving the cheek a squeeze, "How about I reward you for your diligence?" He questioned, stroking slowing before stopping

Oliver wondered how Slade would get to that. He'd much rather the man just did it then started talking about it. It not like Oliver hadn't done it to himself before; only when he was alone and he never told a soul because he knew how "gay" such an act was, even if it felt so damn good. Having another person do it, a male, older, larger and completely nothing like a woman, wasn't helping the matter. Then again, would he really want a woman to do that to him? And there was something comforting about having someone stronger around to protect him. To take care of him as they... well, as they did this.

Oliver looked to the side and nodded.

Slade wrapped an arm around Oliver and pulled him to his chest, Oliver's head at his shoulder. The younger man was a little surprised that Slade have gave up the looking-into-each-other's-eyes rule for Oliver's comfort, but quickly thinking about it Oliver concluded that now Slade could reach his target and that was his real reason.

Slade started to stroke Oliver's cock once more, the pace however was slower, nowhere near as fast enough as needed to get Oliver to reach the end. He kissed and nipped at Oliver's skin, Slade's ears always keen to hear Oliver gasp and moan. He moved his arm from Oliver's back to his butt, running a hand over the clothed skin. Oliver arched his back, leaning into the touch.

Slade kissed Oliver's ear, "Ready?"

The dark-haired man's warm breath and deep, husky voice caused a shiver to run up Oliver's spine. He nodded, cheek rubbing against Slade's jaw.

Slade placed his index and middle fingers into his mouth, lapping at them with his saliva tipped tongue before returning them to Oliver's behind. He slipped a hand inside the boxers, rubbing his wetted finger tip at the entrance.

Oliver whined at the teasing and arched his back further, lifting his ass up as much as possible, trying to tell Slade he was ready, but he didn't have to wait any longer. As Slade slipped a finger all the way inside, Oliver moaned loudly, "Fuck," he said as he grabbed Slade's shoulder with his hand. Slade gave a few quick jerks that had Oliver teetering on the edge before returning to his slow pace.

Slade thrust his finger in and out, getting Oliver used to the size before adding a second. He smiled as Oliver moaned and buried his head into the older man's neck. The one thing Slade didn't expect was when he was scissoring his finger, stretching Oliver's walls quite nicely, how Oliver started to kiss his neck. This was a little unexpected, but the real surprise came when Oliver bit down. He would have pulled the blonde closer, but both of his hands were in use pleasuring the young man still moaning as he went along biting and sucking Slade's neck. Instead, he tilted his head to the side, giving the man more room to work with.

As Slade was fucking Oliver hard with his fingers he thought about adding another, to drag the whole thing about further, but once he got to about three or four he might as well just go all the way with him. So instead, Slade pushed in deeper and moved his fingers at an angle towards where he was pretty sure his goal was at. Then he hit it; Oliver's prostate. In that exact moment that he hit it, Oliver happened to be biting a patch of Slade's neck he had been peppering with kisses, so of course the surge of pure pleasure caused him to bite down, very hard. So hard that Oliver could taste blood and Slade growled something that didn't sound very pleasant in a language Oliver didn't understand.

Oliver quickly let go and went to pull back when Slade started to thrust and jerk Oliver with a near unbearable pace. Oliver moaned and moaned, high and quick from the overload that was filling his body; literally as it was the case. He couldn't think straight and there wasn't any way he was moving away, so he clung onto Slade; one hand on the man's shoulder, the other on his hip.

Unsurprisingly, he came.

Slade slowly pulled his fingers out of him. Hearing Oliver groan, he kissed the blonde's neck. He wrapped his arms around Oliver, one of his hands was facing up and balled, holding onto the thick white liquid he was currently unable to remove, some of which was dripped down his arm.

"Fuck," Oliver gasped, trying to catch his breath. After a minute, he remembered the bite and glanced up. There was a bit of wet blood, some streaming down his neck and some smothered into his skin. The mark looked painful, to Oliver anyway, but the blonde was pretty sure that Slade had liked it, considering his reaction. There was a thin line between pain and pleasure; it could have been that Slade just had a higher threshold than him. Oliver still felt bad.

Oliver leaned up and licked away the stream of blood, the copper taste was bitter in his mouth.

Slade sighed, his body relaxing as Oliver lick along his neck. The younger man thankfully had the sense not to lick the bite mark. He would have to clean it later.

"Thanks," Slade said as Oliver pulled away.

Oliver smiled and rested his head on Slade's chest, listening to the man's strong heart beat thump quickly beneath his ear. He sat there, the heart beat a quiet lullaby to him.

Here they were yet again; there was something so relaxing about being in Slade's arms. They never mentioned it, Oliver didn't even think of it as cuddling even when he knew that's what it was. Talking about it would only just ruin it.

* * *

- Starling City -

Oliver opened his eye, blinking for a second; trying to recall where he was. As he rolled onto his side, his arousal brushed against the mattress. "Ah," he gasped as a wave of pleasure swept through him as he remembered where he was. He dropped his head on to the pillow, "Great," he groaned, "just great."


	4. A Matter of Starting Anew

**Sorry for the wait.**

**Interesting news. I may be going to Greece for a year for work experience, along with my boyfriend. After college (this year), so it won't be for a while yet.**

* * *

"Oliver?" Moira said, tapping her knuckles on the door frame to her son's room.

"I'm here." Oliver called from his bathroom en-suite. He stood on his tiptoes so that he could see his bump in the mirror above the sink, hand petting it.

"I have someone who I would like you to meet."

Oliver grabbed a green cotton shirt, slipping it on, "Oh?" he then pulled on a grey hoodie.

"I have got you a bodyguard." she paused, knowing Oliver would likely have something to say about the idea.

"What?" Oliver opened the door. "Why?"

"Oliver." she said, voice calm, "With all due respect the consciences of last night could have been much worse." she gave him a small smile, "And I very much wish to meet my grandchild."

Oliver frowned. She had a point. "Do they know?"

"No. We will have to tell him at some point but for now let's just let you two get to know each other." Moira said, adding, "You will like him, I can tell. He's downstairs at this moment chatting with Raisa in Russian."

Oliver nodded, giving his mother a reassuring smile. The guy did sound interesting but he did not feel comfortable with some stranger being around his baby, especially as Oliver was not less able to protect himself without risking the baby's well being.

"I know your worried." Moira said, smiling gently.

It was then that Oliver realised his arm was around his bump.

"When I was pregnant with you and then Thea, I was so scared the world was out to get you. During both pregnancies I would not let even your father touch my bump." She laughed lightly, a frown pulling at her lips at the mention of her late husband.

Oliver nodded. He sighed dramatically, "Alright, I'll meet him."

* * *

"Miss Queen." Raisa smiled in greeting to the mother and son, "We have made some tea, if you would like a cup?"

"We?" Oliver questioned.

"Mr Wilson brought tea leafs he got in China. He said they are often used after people have suffered injuries." she smiled, "I believe it would also be good for the baby."

Oliver's face was set in stone. He nodded to Raisa and followed her to the kitchen, all the while his heart was pounding. It had to be a coincidence that his bodyguard could speak Russian and had the same last name as the father of his child, the man he had been with for all those years. It had to be.

Rounding the corner he saw Slade Wilson. Stood in a black suit with a white dress shirt; all buttoned up, face clean cut, looking so unlike the Slade he knew, passing a cup of tea to Thea.

It was no coincidence.

* * *

- Liànyù -

There were a mixture of emotions running through Oliver at this moment as he sat watching Slade and Shado spar.

Sorrow, for Yao Fei had been captured. A sliver of happiness, Yao Fei had not betrayed him, he was just trying to keep his daughter safe. Anger, Fyers had Yao Fei. Anger seemed to be the strongest emotion going, followed by a background of sadness. These feeling seemed to spark every time he looked over to Shado, she was so much like her father. After awhile however he started to feel anger at her and that just confused Oliver.

Slade grinned up at Shado, her long dark hair dropping down on to his forehead and cheek. "You'll have to teach me that one." he told her, still catching his breath.

"Only if you show me where the knife was." she said.

Oliver's nails dug into his seat, which was noting more than a log. Something about the way she sat on him, the way Slade panted with a grin across his lips and the way her body jerked on top of his as he pressed the metal into her back told Oliver all he needed to know. He knew the reason for his anger for her, he just could not believe it. It was not like him to get jealous when he and Slade were just sleeping together. What ground did he even have to stand on?

Oliver got up, he could not watch them anymore. He went over to where Yao Fei's bow sat and picked it up.

"Who taught you how to fight?" Slade asked, pushing himself off the floor to stand with Shado.

"My father wanted a son." she said. She spotted Oliver playing with the bow and went over to him.

"He got one." Slade remarked.

"Careful. The tension in that bow is 150 pounds. Snap it, you'll end up with carbon fibre shrapnel in your eyes." she told the blonde.

"She's right." Slade agreed, "You're not strong enough, kid." he turned to Shado, "Go again?"

Oliver was stuck between growling out the word 'bastard' or walking right out the plane. In the end he just stood there. "You know, it's pretty exciting that both of you are such bad-asses but don't you think we should maybe be making a plan to stop Fyers and... I dunno save your dad?"

"Does he always whine this much?" Shado asked, looking over to the Australian.

"This is one of his good days."

Oliver just rolled his eyes, taking a seat on a cargo crate. Slade was being such a total dick.

Shado raised a brow, "Can he fight?"

"I've tried. Limited success." Slade remarked.

Oliver gave Slade a mock frown, "Sitting right here."

"Well," Shado said, "I haven't tried yet."

Oliver's lips tightened as Slade chuckled at what Shado was suggesting.

Oliver had no idea what the point of slapping water was but at least he did not have to watch Slade and Shado flirt.

* * *

- Starling City -

Oliver's breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide.

Aqua met dark brown.

Slade smiled, "Hello." he held a hand out, taking the few steps that separated the two of them, "Mr Queen, I assume?"

Oliver nodded, "Um, yeah. That's me."

Slade's smile grew.

Oliver wanted to punch the fucker right in the face.

* * *

- Liànyù -

"Draw the bow." Shado told Oliver.

Oliver looked at the bow. The slapping water had done wonders to cool his anger, he now felt more relaxed, more sure of himself. He drew back the bow string and held it perfectly still. He had done it? He had done it.

Slade smiled. "I'll be damned."

Oliver's heart smelled with warmth at the Australian's reaction, he then slowly moved the wire back, knowing that his anger with the older man was returning.

The blonde turned to Shado. He was starting to like her; she was a very patient and polite women and he felt bad about turning his anger on her before. "What now?"

She smiled. "We teach you to shoot."

Oliver gave her an odd look for a second before realising 'we' probably meant Shado and her father. Yao Fei was a good man, who Oliver would get back.

"First however, kid, we hunt." Slade added.

Oliver turned to the older man and nodded.

No more distractions.

* * *

- Starling City -

"I served in the navy since I was eighteen." Slade told Oliver, taking a seat at the dinning room table, next to the blonde.

Moira took her leave to attend to some paper work, Raisa left too, the two women ushered Thea away also, giving the two men time to get used to each other

"Oh?" Oliver nodded, faking interest. His eyes returned to his tea, anything to look away from the man."Fascinating. Why did you come to Starling city?"

"To meet an old friend."

Oliver hummed, once again nodding, although his eyes twitched every so slightly. He paused for a second, listening out for anyone before asking, "Why are you really here?"

"To see you."

Oliver looked up, Slade seemed genuine. "Fuck you." he spat.

"I'm sorry for-"

"Sorry does not make up for what you did." Oliver hissed.

"Oli-"

"After living on an Island full of mercenaries **together**, hiding out in Russia, being hunted and working with ASIS **together**, after I stuck by you through your surgery." Oliver laughed, "All I get is a fucking note to say goodbye, leaving everything forever."

"Your choices where to join ASIS with me or go home." Slade said, looking Oliver dead in the eyes, "You would have regretted staying."

Oliver's eyes turned dark, "It may not have been official but I was your partner for three years, damn it." Oliver shook his head, "And it was my choice not yours. What happened to those Arabs you were so worried about finding you, anyway?"

"They would have killed you had they found out who I was. They're dead, all of them." His features softened, "I could tell you wanted to stay, Oliver. I could tell." he cupped Oliver's cheek, only to have it smacked away. "You wanted to see your family for years, I could not take that away from you."

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut, he could feel the tears starting to well. Damn hormones.

"Oli-"

"I waited for you."

"Hm?"

"I waited for you, for a week. I called everyone I knew, ASIS, Russian, Chinese..." Oliver met Slade's dark eyes, "I wanted you more."

"Oliver." A sad smile pulled at Slade's lips.

"**Wanted**, past tense." Oliver glared Slade down, "I don't want you in my life anymore."

Slade's eyes went wide.

"You ruined everything. It's over. Get the fuck out of here." Oliver tried his hardest to keep his voice low. "It's over. You got what you wanted. Now leave me the fuck alone. You can't just come back. I mean first you-" Oliver stopped. He did not regret the pregnancy, that last night they had together. He wished he could have those years back but they were gone. He should have known it would end.

Slade took hold of Oliver's cheek again.

Oliver pulled away, "Would you just fuck off already?!"

"Your crying?"

Oliver paused. Moving his fingertips to his cheek, he felt the cooling wetness. Hormones were no fun.

"Oliver?" Slade was really confused. Oliver was very strong when it came to his emotions, not that he was not an open book to Slade but he never just started crying so suddenly. He must have really hurt the younger man. "I'm sorry." he said, his voice husky and pained.

"This is your fault." Oliver said, wiping away the tears with his sleeve.

Slade moved forward; wrapping his arms around Oliver and pulling the blonde to his chest.

"No." Oliver said, pushing against the broad chest, "I'm not letting you fuck with me again. I'm still recovering from the last time."

It kind of just slipped out.

Oliver was lucky enough that Slade did not think about it too deeply.

Slade wrapped an arm around Oliver's lower back, "I'm sorry for what I did. I just wanted you to be happy." He pulled Oliver closer. Upon doing so he felt Oliver's belly against his. Had he put on weight?

Oliver tensed in his arms.

Slade could feel Oliver's define ribs with his arm and his prominent shoulder bone with his hand. How was... It was then that Oliver words rang out in his head.

"Wait." Slade moved a hand up under Oliver's shirt.

"Hey!"

Slade felt the rise of a baby bump with his hand. He could not believe it. He had to ask even when he knew the answer. "You're pregnant?" Slade was not even sure if he wanted his assumption to be true, he just had to know.

Oliver looked into Slade's eyes, eyes he had once truly cared for. He was not so sure now. "Yes." his head fell forward, resting on Slade's chest. These last few days had been so stressful.

They just sat there together, Slade stroked his thumb up the rise of bump. For the first few seconds it felt like they were back on the Island or in a hotel either provided by Anatoli Knyazev; the leader of the Solntsevskaya Bratva or by ASIS. Oliver could not help burying his face in Slade's chest, inhaling Slade's wonderful naturel odour, covered by the scent of the new suit he was wearing.

"Did it happen the last time we were together?" Slade asked.

Oliver pulled back, nodding, not trusting his voice as he felt another tear run down his cheek.

"I'm sorry for leaving you like this." Slade said, pulling his hand away from Oliver's bump.

Oliver moved as far away as the chair would allow, wrapping an arm around his baby.

"No." Slade held up his hands, "I mean for leaving you alone to deal with this."

Oliver gave the man a distrusting look.

* * *

- Liànyù -

"You really do surprise me sometimes, kid. Your improving." Slade smiled, turning his head back to look at Oliver.

Ironic that Slade praises Oliver, one of the things the blonde craves most due to Slade's unimpressed nature, and it's the last thing he wants to hear from Slade right now. It makes him sound like a child or a dog.

_"Oh, Wilson. Still in command, eh? I thought your little pet had staged a coup d'état."_

Oliver's lips twitched at the memory of Fyers's words.

"Something on your mind?" Slade asked.

Oliver shook his head, "Nothing to worry about." he said, almost walking into Slade as the older man stopped walking.

Slade tilted his head in question, "Oh?"

"Shouldn't we be hunting?" Oliver walked around the Aussie.

"Once you tell me what caused you to shove that stick up your arse." Slade followed the blonde, a smirk on his face, "It wasn't one of those pieces of bamboo we use for fighting is it." he hissed at the idea before his smirk returned, "If so, I don't want it back."

Slade waited for an answer but didn't even get a shake of the head from the young billionaire. "Oliver." he ordered, stopping in place.

Oliver held back both the shiver that want to run down his spine and the fear bubbling in his belly at Slade's gravelly voice, a pitch lower in annoyance. He just kept walking.

"The hell is wrong with you?"

Oliver sighed, "Can we please just hunt already?"

Slade quickly moved forward and grabbed Oliver's forearm. "Why are you angry with me?"

"The quicker we do this, the quicker we can save Yao Fei." he said. The best lie was the truth, just not the one they were after.

"And?" Slade asked, releasing his grip

"And..." Oliver sighed, "And I don't think we should do this anymore." he said. He started to walk again. "We're not alone anymore, it'll only get in the way. We should quit while we're ahead." he said, "You'll be fine. Use your hand."

Now that took Slade by surprise. He stared at the back of the blonde's head and then it clicked. He started to walk again, "It must have been uncomfortable watching Shado and I spar." his voice lowered. "Her, sitting on top of me like that. She was on my stomach but just imagine if she had been a little lower." At the tense in Oliver's shoulders, Slade knew his theory was correct. "Your jealous."

"Slade." Oliver sighed.

"I'm not interested in her."

Oliver stopped and turned to the Australian.

"Do you want to know why I never kissed you on the lips?" Slade strolled up to Oliver, their bodies only inches apart.

"Why?" Oliver asked, his voice quiet.

Slade raised his hand to Oliver's cheek, his gloved thumb rubbing the blonde's bottom lip. "I believe that kisses such as that should be for those I wish to be with."

Oliver blinked. It did not sound like rejection, more like an offer. "What do you want?"

"What do you want?" Slade asked, tilting his head and grinning.

Oliver looked down, this was all a little too much at once. At the feeling of Slade's lips on his forehead, Oliver shut his eyes.

Slade moved his lips to Oliver's ear and whispered; "What do you want?" As Slade pulled back Oliver opened his eyes. Green orbs engraved with waves of blue meeting black.

"You." Oliver said and kissed the man.

* * *

- Starling City -

"How is the little one?" Slade asked, "You were in the hospital yesterday."

Oliver wiped away the tear, "Baby's fine. What do you want Slade?"

Slade held his hand out, palm flat, "I wanted to just be with you. Now I want to be with you and our child."

Oliver searched for lies in his dark eyes.

"I understand if you can't forgive me and I'll never stop being sorry for what I did," he said, "but give me the chance to make up for it."

"I..." Oliver looked to his bump, stroking it with his hand. He moved his hand to Slade's. "I have my first scan on Wednesday. You can come."

Slade smiled, wrapped his fingers around the pale hand in his, pretty much engulfing it. "Thank you."

Oliver felt a smile pull at his lips.

"Can I..." Slade held out his other hand.

Oliver looked at it and then finally his glaze met Slade's. Oliver moved forward and kissed him. It was a simple joining of lips and Slade did no more than kiss Oliver back. Pulling back, Oliver nodded.

Slade placed his hand on Oliver's bump, fingers spread out to touch as much of it as possible. "Your having our baby."

"Isn't that a song?" Oliver asked, resting his hand on Slade's, his other still in Slade's grip.

Slade smirked, "Yeah, close enough."


	5. Hello, Little One

**Lie-in or lie in, is an English term used in places like Australia. It just means to sleep late in the morning.**

**Also, I had said before that Slade had surgery on his face AND that he had taken the mirkure. This is mostly because I did not know about the mirkure (like everyone else) when Slade got burned and that was round about the time I was introducing Slade into the story.**

**I'm going to say that mirkure did heal him and make him stronger but it left him with scars that he later had fixed with the use of surgery. I also feels that this makes Arrow a little more realistic.**

* * *

Six days. Six days of pretending not to know each other like the friends and lovers they were. In a way, it did help. Oliver had not kissed Slade since their reunion, he needed time to think. Even when deep down he wanted so badly kiss and hold the other man again, more than anything. Those six days were almost like they were re-learning each other, figuring out where they stood.

Oliver lay on his back on the hospital bed, hands behind his head, eyes shut. It felt so naturel to just be hanging around with Slade again.

"I've got some real weird cravings at the moment." the blonde said.

"Hm?" Slade blinked from where he had been absent-mindedly tracing Oliver's define jaw and soft lips with his dark eyes.

"Beef potato chips."

"Not bad."

"Pickles with strawberry ice-cream."

"That's different."

"And dirt."

Slade perked up at that, "Dirt?" he knitted his brows, "Why dirt?"

"No idea." Oliver said, a smile pulling at his lips.

Slade loved it when he smiled. "Which one's the strongest."

"Dirt."

Slade smirked. "We can ask your doctor what it is your body wants and then go have it for lunch. Worse comes to worse, I'm sure there was a gardening centre near by."

Oliver's smile grew at that.

Aqua, seeming crystal blue in the bright hospital lights, and brown eyes turned to the door, as it opened to reveal Dr Clark.

"Oli-" he paused when he saw Slade. "Um... Hello, I'm doctor Clark. Head of Pediatrics." he held a hand out to Slade.

"Slade Wilson." Slade shook the hand.

Oliver held a hand to Slade, "The father."

"Oh." The doctor's eyes went wide.

Oliver did not feel uncomfortable like he would have guessed, he felt more relaxed if anything. Although small fiery butterflies flew around his stomach.

"Well," Clark smiled wildly, "let me introduce you to that baby of yours."

Slade, Oliver could tell, felt just as anxious as him. Oliver had told him about what happened with China White and the older man had looked liked he was planning to do down to the police station, break down the walls and rip out her insides... Which he did entirely have the ability to do with the mirakuru permanently in his system. It left the man with the same itching feeling of needing to see the baby, that Oliver had.

Slade lay a hand on the bed, right next to Oliver's bump, as the doctor moved around the bed. He left very protective of Oliver, more so than when he had been untrained.

"Alright," the doctor wheeled the ultrasound scanner over, before picking the gel from the small metal table it was on, "let's begin."

Slade's knuckles clicked as doctor lifted Oliver's shirt and rubbed the gel on his belly. He knew he was the only man Oliver had ever been with but something about having another man touching both Oliver **and** their baby was really starting to rile Slade.

Oliver put his hand on Slade's, a smirk on his lips.

Slade relaxed under his touch. The blonde knew him well.

"Before I forget. I've had this weird craving for... Dirt." Oliver said, waiting for the doctor to give him a horrified looked... And hoped dearly that he would not.

Doctor Clack nodded with a smile on his face. "It's just your body's way of telling you that you need something." He started to set up the scanned. "Dirt usually means a deficiency iron, protein or zinc." The screen flashed on. "It's nothing to worry about. Red meat for the iron, nuts for the protein... Peanuts, almond, pistachios and sunflower seeds have the highest amounts. And for the zinc; shellfish and dairy. However avoid all raw shellfish."

Oliver nodded, his lips pressed together in interest. "That's going to be a big lunch." He said, turning to Slade.

Slade gave the blonde a small smile, "How about nuts as snacks, a milkshake a day and for lunch; stake and shellfish?"

Oliver hummed in pleasure, "Sounds great." It sounded delicious, absolutely perfect, although that could have been because it was just what his body needed.

"That should get rid of your craving... for the time being any way." The doctor said.

Slade and Oliver looked the doctor with questionable looks. Oliver's grip tightened, his fingers slipping in between Slade's.

Doctor held his hands up, hands parted with slightly crooked fingers as if he was holding the explanation in his grasp. "A pregnant parent's body is more in tune with their and therefore the baby's needs. A craving will not mean that you will need it straight away, your body is just telling you that you are low in a certain nutrient or mineral."

"Oh, okay." Oliver nodded.

As the doctor turned back to the machine, grabbing the scanner head, Slade moved his hand under Oliver's so that they were palm to palm and took Oliver's hand before he could move away. Oliver squeezed his hand again.

"It's time to meet your baby." Doctor Clack said, holding up the scanner head, ready.

Oliver nodded.

The doctor set to work looking for the baby, rolling the scanner head up and down Oliver's lower belly, and with years of experience he found it in no time flat. "There you are." He smiled at the screen, before he looked over the baby. "And still looking good." He turned to the awaiting parents. "Would you like to see your baby?"

Oliver just lay there, still shocked that this was really happening. He nodded

Doctor Clack turned the screen around and... There it was.

"Fuck." Slade grinned wildly. There was his child. His and Oliver's child, something they made.

"Don't swear." Oliver warmed, although all his focus was on the screen.

Who knew a screen the size of that of a small laptop, covered by seemingly random patches of white on a black background could fill Oliver's heart with such warmth?

"And this here..." the doctor pointed at a white patch. "Is your baby."

"Wow." Oliver smiled brightly.

"Hello, little one." Slade said gently, eyes moving between the screen and Oliver's baby bump.

Doctor Clack showed the parents the developing parts of the baby, telling them what to expect over the following weeks and months.

With a copy of the ultrasound for each of them, Slade and Oliver stood, hands still linked.

"So Oliver?" Doctor Clack smiled, "You may have been right about putting off seeing the ultrasound, before." he said. "This seems like a much better occasion."

Oliver grinned at that. "Yeah."

Slade stroked his thumb along the side of Oliver's hand.

* * *

"She thought your sister was pregnant?" Slade grinned.

The twosome sat in a private booth, with state and prawns, just as Slade suggested.

"Yeah." Oliver stuck a prawn into his mouth, nodding. He covered his mouth with his hand as he spoke again. "I laughed so hard."

"I heard."

Oliver paused in his chewing, hand still in front of his mouth. He blinked and nodded, "That's when you met my mum?" he asked, before he finally swallowed.

"Yeah. I did not mean to mention or accept the offer of being your bodyguard." he said. "But I believe she would have likely come to the idea sooner or later. And he or she," he smirked. They both remembered Shado. "would have got in the way when we talked. So the idea just made sense."

"Yeah. I get it." Oliver shook his head. "My hormones kind of got the best of me that first day."

"Your, you know." he waved his hand to emphasise his point. "Your allowed to be."

"Don't say that." Oliver snorted, "You'll regret it."

Slade chuckled.

* * *

Oliver's insides felt heavy as they arrived at the Queen manor but he pushed it away. It had only just gone dark, which meant it was kind of late seeing as it was October. He exited the car and was non too surprised when Slade did as well. The blonde walked up the steps to his door, reaching the top step, he span around, crossing his legs, the toes of one of his shoes pointing at the ground.

Slade was leaning against the car door that Oliver had left from. "What time tomorrow?"

"Nine."

"Ten." Slade said.

Oliver crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow with a smirk across his lips.

"You should have a lie-in." Slade continued.

Oliver felt the smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. Okay."

Slade pushed himself off the car and strolled up the steps until he stood in front of Oliver, his heels edging ever so slightly off the step. "I'll see you in the morning." he said. He then lent forward and kissed Oliver's cheek. "Goodnight." His hand rested against Oliver's bump, eyes still on his. "To the both of you."

The risk of things going too far and someone seeing them was all that stopped Oliver from grabbing Slade and yanking him forward in to a kiss. "Goodnight." he said, his hand resting on Slade's for the briefest of seconds... before the door opened.

The two pulled away quickly, and looked over to see Thea.

"Hey, Ollie." She could not help the smile that pulled at her lips. She knew what today was, what Oliver likely had in his pocket. The scan of the baby.

* * *

The following morning Oliver did in fact sleep a little longer. After years of waking up mostly between four and seven, it felt a little unnatural and the over sleeping did give him a slight headache but he quickly removed.

Opening the door he saw Slade leaning against the car, as he had done last night.

"Morning." Oliver called.

"Morning." Slade said, opening the door for the billionaire.

Oliver hopped inside and grinned when he saw a plastic bag of mixed nuts and a milkshake on the dashboard.


End file.
